Poly(ethylene oxide) is presently commercially available in several grades, each grade having a specified molecular weight range. Of the several grades available, the most economical to produce is poly(ethylene oxide) having an average molecular weight of about 4,000,000 because this high molecular weight polymer is produced with the highest efficiency of ethylene oxide consumed based on catalyst. Mid-range grades of poly(ethylene oxide) are generally produced by partially poisoning the catalyst, for example, with acetonitrile, causing decreased efficiency of ethylene oxide on catalyst. Lower grades of poly(ethylene oxide) are generally produced by degradation of higher grades by irradiation with a cobalt-60 source. This process of producing mid-range and lower grades of poly(ethylene oxide) has disadvantages from both the cost and quality viewpoints. It requires the use of a lower efficiency production process than that which is used for producing the higher grades since the lower grades must be produced in a separate irradiation step with the poly(ethylene oxide) resin transported to the cobalt-60 source. Treating with cobalt-60 is hazardous and often each batch does not receive an exactly similar amount of radiation and as a consequence the end product suffers considerably from non-uniform molecular weight. Previous methods of degrading higher molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) to lower molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) using free radicals have been inefficient because the free radical sources used leave acid residues which must be removed to give stability to the poly(ethylene oxide), and because the high concentrations required create a need for several solvent washings to remove the free radical source from the poly(ethylene oxide) to prevent further degradation, and also because the high oxygen concentration required mandates the use of lower temperatures to reduce the explosion hazard thus increasing the time required for the degradation. A process which avoids the use of these less efficient methods of producing mid-range and lower molecular weight poly(ehtylene oxide) and leads to the more efficient production of more uniform molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) would be highly desirable.